Wichita eagle., 1887-06-24
COSTLY STAGE FEVER.
AMATEURS WHO PAY WELL TO APP
PEAR AMONG pRofEssa AIS.


They Spend Large Sums on Costumes
for the Privilege of Speaking Half
Dozen Lines-Drawing Friends to tho
Play.
In one of the most popular theatrical pro-
auctions of the season here, an actress who
played minor role-she had barely ten lines
to speak-dyessed the part very richly. Her
costume was perfect fit, and OF rich ma
terial; and she wore superb jewelry. The
part was that of court lady, and the rich
dressing was not inappropriate. But Won
dered how the manager could afford to furnish
so expensive a costume for a minor role.
Happening in his Office soon afterwards,
asked him how much the dress had cost him.
@Not one cent" he replied. Son the con-
trary, she pays me $40 every night she ap-
pears"
"That is to say she furnishes her own
dresses and pays you salary:"
Exactly. She is a rich woman who is
stage struck, and is therefore willing to pay
me for the privilege Of appearing on my
stage"
"If there were many women like her tho
manager of a first class theatre would always
count on at least one source of income. Even
an unsuccessful play wouldn't be wholly I'M
profitable. But I suppose such women are
few in NUMBER
"Look here" said the manager, opening q
book and turning over several pages covered
with names and addresses. There are some
fifty people, all of them willing to act for
nothing, and the majority Of them so anxious
to appear on the stage that they are ready to
reverse matters and pay me salary during
the time they appear at my theatre"
$50 that if you could fill your cast with
those willing to pay you, you could make a
small fortune every nightp
WOULD NOT RISK IT.
Eyes; as long as people would come to see
them act. But I'm afraid the audiences
would be so slim that these rich amateurs
would 70 longer consider it g. privilege TO
play at my theatre"
Then you wouldn't risk casting any Of
them for leading role?"
"Not for all their wealth. But the beauty
Of this little arrangement is that these people
ore not over ambitious Give a woman Of
this class a character which requires rich
dressing and she is satisfied, even If she has
but few lines to speak, or only stands among
the super ladies' 1t is very easy matter to
suit them. Many small parts, you know, are
for court ladies and the like. They have to
be extensively dressed. These are what my
amateur ladies delight in. I'll give you a
case in point. The last play but one had q
seven line part which had to be richly dressed.
suppose the costume Of the amateur who
played it must have cost $1,000 or more, for
it was from Worth, and she must have worn
thousands of dollars worth OF jewelry. She
came to the theatre every night in private
carriage, went on the stage, got off her seven
lines and drove away. Now calculate the ad-
vantage to me Of employing her. She paid
me for coaching her in her part couple Of
weeks before we put the play on. was on a
regular salary from her while the play ran;
she saved me the expense of buying a eos
tune, and. after all, she did the part better
than most of the professionals l could have
got for SIS week"
"But aren't these advantages offset by the
trouble Of drilling theml'
sWhy, they don't give me so much trouble
as professionals They're as pliable as putty.
Even when they pay me in good round sums
they consider Pm doing them such a favor in
allowing them to appear with my company
that they are ready to comply with every
request and dare not air any notions OF their
own"
Are they so anxious to act that they offer
Of their own accord to pay you for the
privilege"
HOW IT CONES ABOUT.
ut usually comes about as 1t did yesterday.
a good looking girl came here with her
mother. They hesltated and looked at each
other as if each wanted tho other to speak
first, and then the mother asked me if
couldn't give her daughter chance to appear
in small parts. told them l was sorry, but
my salary list was full oh, she doesn't
want salary exclaimed the mother. We're
willing to pay for the privilege of having her
appear on your stage She mentioned good
sum, and I've put it down opposite her name.
think of sending for her for our next pro
ductioa. There's ten line part in the play
we're about putting In rehearsal that ought
to be dressed well, SO think she'll suit"
"Wih you have other amateurs in the same
playa"
II will have young fellow, but no other
girl. You can't very well employ more than
one Of these amateur women in a play, be-
cause while they are contented to play q
miner role, each wants the best minor role.
One Of them wouldn't play seven line part
if the other had been cast for ten liner"
DO you engage those who pay you best!'
"Very often, but not always by any means.
As you see, in this book some names have no
amounts set opposite them. Those are the
applicants who are willing to go on for moth
| ing, but don't pay me for letting them act.
The Others are willing to pay me per week
! the amounts opposite their names You
might think that those who aren't willing to
pay me stand 10 show of being sent for. But
that's not the case. Often some among them
may be SO pretty and so bright looking that
take them for small parts which don't require
handsome dressing. Those which do require
fine dressin. give to the women who are
able to pay me- and the more expensive the
dresses needed the higher go on my LIST, be-
cause think thai those who can afford to
pay me highest can afford TO spend the most
money on their dress"
DO you employ the same amateur to the
end of the plays run:'
oh, no. Rarely longer than couple of
weeks. | leave her in the cast until | find
from the box office-that she has drawn all
her friends to the play. Then of she goes and
another takes her place. New York Mail
and Express.